The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1887-10-21
THE KIMBALL GRAPHIC.
eY q. e. IlNAN.

ia have little, if anything, to say of the
local option question which is to be
submitted to popular vote on the sth of
November next. No other cause can be
assigned for this seeming lack of interest
by the press except that the majority of
the newspapers of Dakota are either at
heart opposed to prohibition, Indifferent.
or are, like many individuals, puzzled as
to the benefits accruing from prohibition
over a high license, and are, therefore.
9 committal. OF the few papers
comparatively spcaking-that have taken
o stand one way or the other the great
majority are for prohibition. This is
natural. Ii is natural because it is pop
ular-just at this time. 1t is not a CRATE.
full task, and certainly not a popular
one, to under estimate the evils of the
drink habit which is largely fostcred by
saloons, no matter how strong the argu-
meuts that prohibition is impracticablc.
With this attitude of the prcss-with
this SLIGHT opposition-those who are
working for local option should feel well
satisfied. 1t seems to be the desire of the
majority of the newspapers to let the
matter go to the people-sitting rs Il Jury
without argument. In other words
they are willing to give the local option
advocates a chance. There are some ar
dent prohibitiouists who, of course. are
not satisfied with this. They think that
this or that paper ought to turn in and
help create a public sentiment in their
favor. and, because it will not do so, it is
condemned. When such who are trying
to correct the morals of the world can
truthfully and honestly say that they
have wronged no man, that they have
paid their debts, that they do not lie,
HLcat. steal, defraud or deceive, that they
do not covet what does not belong to
shem, that they observe the moral law,
and, in short, that the beam is not in
their w eye, their assumptions Of
superiority may be tolerated. Nor can
it be successfully maintained by those
who are advocating the adoption of n
prohibitory law that ''they that are not
Cor US are against u.s." When the Sa-
vior was informed by John that he had
found a man casting out devils in his
name aud be forbade him because he fol-
lowed not with them, Jesus said: For
bid him not *** for he that is not
against me is on our part" This may
not be applicable in all cases but it is in
many. On the other hand, when those
who complain because more pap
do nat champion the cMlse OF the license
system can show that a reasonable per
cent. of the saloons obey the laws i'm
posed upon them, that they do not sell
intoxicating liquors to habitual drunk
ards and minors, that they do not keep
open after certain hours stipulated in the
statutes. and Sundays as well, and. in
short. are moi riding n free horse to
death, they, too, may be more charit-
ably viewed. SO far as the GRAPu1ci is
concerned in this temperance question it
is, in common with hundreds of other
broad and liberal minded journals in
Dakota, puzzled somewhat rs to the re-
spective merits of high license and local
option in Dakota as a means of checking
and controlling the liquor traffic. SO
far as it's editoris ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
spcaking-he is free to admit that q life
time residence in n state (Ohio) where
prohibition was given up rs a total fail
ure after 20 years of trial naturally makes
him Il high license man. But these
early formed prejudiccs do not in any
manner enter into the policy of the
GRAPHIC on any matters relating to the
public welfare. The GRAPHIC is Dako-
ia born and Dakota raised. When local
option or prohibition has been tried and
proven a failure it will be tim to decry
it. When local option or prohibition
has been tritd and proven q success it
viii be time to praise it. To say that it
will prove a failure or that it will prove
a success is to assert an opinion based on
no substantial foundation. The CON
dieting reports from all states that have
tri.d the two systcms-high license and
prohibitiOn-provc how futile is the at
tempt to fo,ctell the result in an I'M
tried state or territory. The GRAPHIC, in
common with so many of it's brilliant
contemporaries, is willing that the qucs-
ton should go to the people without
argument on it's part. But there are so
many sides to the question, so many de-
lusions and fallacies held by both the
advocates of high license and local opt
ion that it is meet and opportune at this
time to point some of them out that the
voter who has given but little thought
to the matter may more intelligently
cast his ballot. So far as it lies in the
GRAPnlc's power this will be faithfully
and impsrtially done in subsequent
issues.
A case under the Kansas prohibition
law involving the question of declaring
a SALOON an abatable nuisance has lust
been argued to the national supreme
nN,,rf onl a loni.s,r &, 1~-antoJ =.